Zheng Chuan held his falchion and charged directly at Chen Jie, launching a deadly move.
He had learned from the secret martial arts manual "Five Tigers Breaking Door Saber" obtained from Peng Shizhong.
At that time, he practiced a saber technique capable of energy transformation, which was extremely fierce.
This saber technique was passed down from the Qian Song Yunzhou Qinjiazhai, consisting of sixty-four ferocious moves, each filled with murderous intent.
The saber technique primarily involved techniques of lifting, chopping, wiping, chopping down, splitting, bursting, hooking, and hanging, and was an art of wide swings and cuts.
Zheng Chuan had trained in this saber technique for over ten years and had infused it with his own understanding.
While being ferociously aggressive, he added a sinister aspect so his attack was the vicious "White Tiger Jumps."
At that moment, Chen Jie grabbed a large gun and followed with a rifle-shaking starting gesture.
He immediately went to confront Zheng Chuan.
The two fought in the dark, sparks flying when their knife and gun collided.
Seeing this scene, Huang Wan’er, who was lying on the wall watching, said, "Which of them has superior martial arts?"
Upon hearing this, Master Jingxiang said, "Both are top-notch experts in Mianshui. Apart from those capable of energy transformation, they are likely the strongest there is."
Huang Wan’er further inquired, "How about compared to you, Master?"
Master Jingxiang responded, "It’s hard to say; it could go either way."
Huang Wan’er remarked, "I see."
As she thought this, the battle had already lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea and still there was no victor.
Just then, suddenly a sound of horse hoofs echoed, "Zheng Chuan, don’t flee, Fifth Master, I am here to assist you, giddyup!"
Hearing this noise, Zheng Chuan was suddenly startled. Was that Peng Fu’s voice? Were reinforcements arriving?
"You’ve got distracted!"
In the momentary distraction of Zheng Chuan, a cold voice was heard followed by Chen Jie thrusting his spear directly.
"Bone-deep longing—deeply missing!"
With that, the spear thrust forward.
Zheng Chuan reacted only to try to defend, but suddenly felt pain in his right shoulder as the spear pierced through it, causing intense pain throughout his body.
Zheng Chuan immediately switched hands, from right to left.
With a snap, he switched to his left hand and immediately chopped at Chen Jie’s spear.
Chen Jie, seeing this, immediately used a sliding force to let the spear flow without resistance, and when the chop came, it did not sever the spear’s shaft.
Chen Jie then backed away with his spear, pressing Zheng Chuan to go back as well.
Zheng Chuan, gritting his teeth from pain, could only retreat.
They quickly moved back to the courtyard wall of Jixiang Temple, Zheng Chuan seeing Peng Fu approaching closer.
With a grit of his teeth, he stopped the thrusts of Chen Jie’s spear, then with a thrust, the spear pierced through his shoulder, and Zheng Chuan shouted, "Strike!"
Then, bearing the pain as the spear’s shaft passed through his shoulder, he charged from the spear tip to its butt, and swinging his saber as he neared.
Chen Jie, seeing this, was greatly alarmed and immediately released the spear, while pulling back his hands to execute "Stone Breaking Hand."
Suddenly, he struck out towards Zheng Chuan.
Zheng Chuan, having moved past the spear, his blood reddening it, now used the incoming swing to force Chen Jie back.
Seeing Chen Jie using the "Stone Breaking Hand," Zheng Chuan, through gritted teeth, chose to block it head-on.
With a thud, the Stone Breaking Hand struck his back.
With a spurt, he vomited blood, yet he used that force to leap over the courtyard wall.
Then he grabbed Huang Wan’er, causing Master Jingxiang to exclaim in shock, "Despicable scoundrel!"
But the next moment, before anyone reacted, Huang Wan’er was already in Zheng Chuan’s grip.
At the same time, the falchion knife pressed against Huang Wan’er’s delicate, pale neck.
"Nobody moves! Cough, cough, cough..."
The maids and the nun watching were instantly horrified, shouting with urgency.
This was not out of pretense; it was genuine concern, as if Huang Wan’er were killed, Jixiang Temple would likely face disaster.
And the maid close to Huang Wan’er would certainly be beaten to death.
Nan Batian had a perverted affection for Huang Wan’er; he could lash out brutally, whipping and torturing, but he would never allow anyone to touch his wife even slightly.
"You, let go of Madam, or else, or else the Gang Leader won’t spare you!"
The maid angrily chastised Zheng Chuan.
Zheng Chuan, hearing this, said with a laugh, "Ha, ha, ha, little girl, if you want your madam to be unharmed, you shouldn’t be talking to me but to them."
As he spoke, Chen Jie had his spear in hand.
Peng Fu, holding a saber, had already jumped in, together they cornered Zheng Chuan in a pincer move.
Seeing this, Zheng Chuan bellowed, "Stop, if you come any closer, I’ll kill her and we all die together, then bear the wrath of Nan Batian, ha, ha, ha... everyone will die!"
"Stop, you all stop, if anyone hurts my Madam, we all die, our Gang Leader will go mad!"
The maid said with a trembling voice to Chen Jie.
Peng Fu also halted, having heard of Nan Batian’s madness, he did not dare to provoke him.
Master Jingxiang also uttered in fear, "Don’t move, nobody move, we can talk this out!"
Seeing everyone halted, Zheng Chuan then demanded, "Good, if you don’t want to die together, just sit tight and let me go!"
Chen Jie, hearing this, stepped forward, narrowing the distance between them.
Zheng Chuan asked, "What are you doing?"
Upon hearing this, Master Jingxiang said, "Donor, don’t be rash, the lady must not be harmed."
Peng Fu also said, "Fifth Master, let him go, we absolutely cannot let the lady be injured, otherwise... even the Hall Master can’t protect you!"
At that moment, the young maid also spoke, "The Gang Leader said anyone who hurts the madam, he will tear them to pieces!!"
Hearing this, Zheng Chuan laughed loudly, "Right, none of you move, Madam, let’s go..."
Zheng Chuan went to pull Huang Wan’er but found he couldn’t move her, he frowned, puzzled at what this woman was doing.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, the woman said, "Are you afraid of death?"
Zheng Chuan was stunned by her question, but quickly responded, "Afraid? I’m not afraid of anything."
"That’s good, otherwise it would be quite awkward,"
The woman smiled, and in the next moment, she moved her neck towards Zheng Chuan’s knife.
Everyone watching was horrified, and Zheng Chuan, terrified, lost his voice, "What, what are you doing!!"